OOCC CORVETTE TRIP Part 4 Madison Car Show

Story and photographs copyright D. S. Brown

---------DAY 16 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Madison car show is an easygoing mix of vehicles. Walking up to the edge of the field the first car we saw was a 1971 GTO convertible. The card said that it was a Judge. The owner wasn't around to ask if the base car used was a real GTO or a LeMans. The car was definately a Judge clone, since the one Lucerne Blue Judge convertible made that in 1971 has been accounted for already.

The GTO saw a drastic reduction in sales for 1971. With Judge production hovering around 10% of total GTO production in general, there wouldn't have been that many built if the option had been offered for the full year. However, The Judge was phased out in February, 1971, further limiting the number of Judges produced. Rarest of all were Judge convertibles with only 17 built.

Rarity combined with a very desirable bodystyle and one of Pontiac's best engines, the 455 H.O. has escalated the price of these cars to Mopar levels. Of the 17 cars, some are known and documented. Only one Lucerne Blue one was built. To see a story on the real Lucerne Blue car, check the story on original owner Larry in the ONE OWNER section of CAR STORIES. You can also see the car in the GTO NATIONALS chapter of this road trip story.

Two Cameo White, white top and interior cars are known in the collectors' circles. The one whose VIN is 242671P131352 was shipped out Feb 27, 1971 to dealer 313-318, Miller Pontiac Co., 4200 Main St, Kansas City, MO. This dealer also took delivery of one of the Tropical Lime Judge convertibles. The White car had A/C and automatic. It was previously owned by Bill Wieman in Arizona and Mike Green in California.

The second Cameo White, white top, white interior car was located in Levittown, PA. It was advertised for sale by the first owner, Dr. Tom Lane, a surgeon who had only driven it on sunny days. The pleasure use vehicle had never been raced or abused. The automatic car was so pristine that it had 'never been dirty' with only 8,800 miles when posted for sale in 1977. Roger Norris bought it and it remains in his family.

The Quezel Gold car with black top and interior is VIN 242671P121426. It was shipped out to New Hampshire on Feb 5, 1971 which places it close to the Feb 11, 1971 cancelation date of the Judge option. The first owner apparently painted it light blue after taking delivery. Second owner Gary Daniels of Tulsa, Oklahoma sold it to Milt Robson in Georgia. The Judge was a 4 speed loaded with almost every possible option. This car appears in the GTO NATIONALS chapter of this road trip story.

A Tropical Lime car with black top and interior with VIN 242671P110472 was shipped out Jan 8, 1971 to dealer 316 659, Frank Woods, Inc. 516- 22 S. Tyson, Charlotte, NC. Was sold by Dan McKinnon of Virginia. Legendary sold it and posted many great photos of this car online.

Another Tropical Lime car also has a black top, but a white interior. The VIN is 242671P101929 and it was shipped out Sep 20, 1970 to dealer code 313-318, Miller Pontiac Co. 4200 Main St, Kansas City, MO. This one is an automatic with A/C. This dealer also took delivery of one of the Cameo White Judge convertibles. The Tropical Lime GTO was in Kansas for 20 years and photos of it currently show a pretty thrashed looking car. Now owned by Alan Reed.

A special paint Camaro Rally Green car from Florida is currently owned by Mike Green in California.

Several Cardinal Red cars are accounted for. VIN 242671P104128 has a white top and black interior according to the window sticker, but a period photo shows black top. This automatic car was sold through McMullen Pontiac Ltd in Pontiac, Michigan. Prior to 1976 it already had a new top (changed to black) when purchased by the fourth owners Tom and Mary Frank of Cedarburg, Wisconsin. In 1991 with less than 80,000 miles on the car it was sold to Steve Ames.  

VIN 242671P106957 is a 4 speed Cardinal Red 1971 Judge convertible with black top and interior. This car was registered in Sweden March 19, 1974. The Judge apparently came from the Sea Crest . The Swedish dealership owner drove it for a summer before selling it to Bengt Alm who drag raced it. To better his times, the 4 speed was switched out for an automatic. It later became a tow car for a race car. After a few years it was sold to a new owner who painted flames on it and blew a rod through the block. The next owner sold it to Gary Cave, then ending up with famous collector Kevin Suydam.

Undiscovered at this point is the third Cameo white car. It is automatic with black top and interior. The second Aztec Gold car with Sienna top and Sandalwood interior, auto is also unknown. The third Aztec Gold car was a 4 speed with Ivory top and white interior and was supposedly totalled soon after purchase.